Speculation: Potential first round opponent: Who would you rather play? Rangers, Pens or Bruins?

[swflyers93]

Pens. Otherwise, we aren't making it out of the first round.

 

[Garbage Goal]

I don't think this is a SC team so I'm just hoping for a couple good rounds and defeating the Pens and/or Rangers.

Pens are the best matchup I think. For obvious reasons. Injury issues, thin depth, bad bottom six, bad coach, weak mentally since they're so easy to goad into penalties and get them off their game. There's always a potential MAF playoff implosion as well.

 

[Mkoll]

More concerned about making it to the first round now.

 

[kdyehs]

The Flyers offensive is build to dominate the playoff. It will be night and day compared to the regular season.

This thread just demonstrate how scared the fans are.

 

[Beef Invictus]

The Flyers offensive is build to dominate the playoff. It will be night and day compared to the regular season.

This thread just demonstrate how scared the fans are.

How exactly is our offense built to dominate the playoffs? We're a tentative 3 line team, assuming Schenn and Lecav aren't sucking on any given night.

 

[Swic21]

IF we make the playoffs, would be crazy to pick anyone besides the Rags. Bruins for obvious reasons and yes Philly plays well against Pitt, Crosby, Malkin, Neal, Kunitz, Bennett, Stempniak, Jokinen, Sutter. The Rags have speed but not much aside from that. Lundqvist has looked bad for stretches of the season. St. Louis looks uncomfortable, and Nash is easily containable.

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

I know I am looking too forward, and I'm not saying we will get this far, but how does the second round work with this new format? Is it always going to be Atlantic vs. Metro in the ECF?

Like, first round:

MET1 vs. WC2
ATL1 v. WC1
MET2 v. Met3
ATL2 v. ATL3

then (providing there are enough from each division)
Highest ATL v. Lowest ATL
Highest MET v. lowest MET

Or does it just get re-seeded regardless of division? Or no reseeding at all?

 

[kdyehs]

How exactly is our offense built to dominate the playoffs? We're a tentative 3 line team, assuming Schenn and Lecav aren't sucking on any given night.

hartnell lecavalier voracek simmonds giroux downie couturier read schenn timonen streit coburn, all those players are productive in playoffs. Togheter, they have more points per game in their last playoff than any other group of players in nhl. Try to find a group of 12 players in any team with more points per game produced in their last playoffs, i don't think you will find.

 

[Beef Invictus]

hartnell lecavalier voracek simmonds giroux downie couturier read schenn timonen streit coburn, all those players are productive in playoffs. Togheter, they have more points per game in their last playoff than any other group of players in nhl. Try to find a group of 12 players in any team with more points per game produced in their last playoffs, i don't think you will find.

Of course their PPG for the playoffs is high, that stat is incredibly skewed by Fleury.

At our best we're a 3 line team, with one of those lines a trainwreck in its own end. Far too often we're a 2 line team. That doesn't scream playoff success to me.

They lack the defensive ability outside of Couturier's line, too.

 

[Flyerfan4life]

More concerned about making it to the first round now.

^^^this...

until we are in, nothing matters.

 

[kdyehs]

Of course their PPG for the playoffs is high, that stat is incredibly skewed by Fleury.

At our best we're a 3 line team, with one of those lines a trainwreck in its own end. Far too often we're a 2 line team. That doesn't scream playoff success to me.

They lack the defensive ability outside of Couturier's line, too.

i concede that I dont focus on lines much, but was the offense in 2010 superior to what we have in 2014, when Ville Leino was our third best player? I have some doubt.

 

[Beef Invictus]

i concede that I dont focus on lines much, but was the offense in 2010 superior to what we have in 2014, when Ville Leino was our third best player? I have some doubt.

Yes, it was much better in 2010. They were the 8th ranked offense in 09-10, which is pretty good considering the troubled times mid season. In 2010-11 before they were blown up they were the 3rd ranked offense. Ville Leino was not the Buffalo player he is now back then, but it was pretty clear he was benefiting greatly by being the perfect compliment to Hartnell and Briere.


This season they're 12th. And on top of that, the overall defensive ability throughout the forward group is still much lower than it was in 09-10.

 

[Coffe]

I know I am looking too forward, and I'm not saying we will get this far, but how does the second round work with this new format? Is it always going to be Atlantic vs. Metro in the ECF?

Like, first round:

MET1 vs. WC2
ATL1 v. WC1
MET2 v. Met3
ATL2 v. ATL3

then (providing there are enough from each division)
Highest ATL v. Lowest ATL
Highest MET v. lowest MET

Or does it just get re-seeded regardless of division? Or no reseeding at all?

There is a playoff tree on NHL.com that shows the path. Right now we face the Rags in the first round and then the winner of Pens/Red Wings in the next round.

So it's built up as a "divisional playoff" with the three teams from each division that made the playoffs and a wildcard team. The Atlantic and Metro "divisonal playoffs" winners play in the ECF. Hypothetically if the wildcard team is from the other divison (as the RW this year) and wins the "divisional playoff" two teams from the same division can face each other in the ECF.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/stanleycup.htm

 

[kdyehs]

Yes, it was much better in 2010. They were the 8th ranked offense in 09-10, which is pretty good considering the troubled times mid season. In 2010-11 before they were blown up they were the 3rd ranked offense. Ville Leino was not the Buffalo player he is now back then, but it was pretty clear he was benefiting greatly by being the perfect compliment to Hartnell and Briere.


This season they're 12th. And on top of that, the overall defensive ability throughout the forward group is still much lower than it was in 09-10.

Our regular season this year will look almost identical to the one in 2010. same goals for and against, same problem winning on the road, same success at home, same everything and we had a disastrous early season with a coach change. We ended up being one of the hottest team in second half of this season.

 

[CutOnDime97]

Not the Bruins. I think I'd honestly prefer the Pens, but I think we may be able to beat the Rags.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Our regular season this year will look almost identical to the one in 2010. same goals for and against, same problem winning on the road, same success at home, same everything and we had a disastrous early season with a coach change. We ended up being one of the hottest team in second half of this season.

We also had a hell of a lot more depth, a 4th line that was arguably the best in the league, and a hell of a lot more two way talent.

That was a team that could lose a 35 goal scorer and still produce offensively. This, currently, is a team that loses an injured Downie and goes from a 3 line team to a something much rougher. The 4th line flat out doesn't compare, either.

On top of that, the D group is far, far less capable offensively, which matters. This group honestly doesn't compare to the 2010 group...that roster was picked for Cup contention in the pre-season for good reason. This roster? Not so much.

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

There is a playoff tree on NHL.com that shows the path. Right now we face the Rags in the first round and then the winner of Pens/Red Wings in the next round.

So it's built up as a "divisional playoff" with the three teams from each division that made the playoffs and a wildcard team. The Atlantic and Metro "divisonal playoffs" winners play in the ECF. Hypothetically if the wildcard team is from the other divison (as the RW this year) and wins the "divisional playoff" two teams from the same division can face each other in the ECF.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/stanleycup.htm

So there is no re-seeding like in previous years? It is essentially set up so that the ATL plays the MET in the conference finals unless there is a WC upset from another division?

For instance...if #1 ATL (#2 in East) loses to WC #1 which happens to be from the MET, there is no re-seeding, right? WC#1 doesn't them play MET #1? WC#1 would play the winner of ATL2/ATL3 regardless of who wins in any other matchups? It is just an actual straight bracket?

Sorry if I am repeating myself but I am just trying to wrap my head around this whole ordeal.

 

[CanadianFlyer88]

So there is no re-seeding like in previous years? It is essentially set up so that the ATL plays the MET in the conference finals unless there is a WC upset from another division?

For instance...if #1 ATL (#2 in East) loses to WC #1 which happens to be from the MET, there is no re-seeding, right? WC#1 doesn't them play MET #1? WC#1 would play the winner of ATL2/ATL3 regardless of who wins in any other matchups? It is just an actual straight bracket?

Sorry if I am repeating myself but I am just trying to wrap my head around this whole ordeal.

It sounds like they may change things next year to keep everything in the division if each division has a wild card team.

Using today's standings:

Metro:

A: Pens vs Wings
B: Rangers vs Flyers

Winner A plays Winner B

Atlantic:

C: Bruins vs Jackets
D: Habs vs Lightning

Winner C plays Winner D


The proposed change next year is that, under the same circumstances, the Wings will stay in the Atlantic, even though they have more points than Columbus to guarantee that the ECF has a representative from each division. This way, the only way that two teams from the same division can meet in the ECF is if both wild cards come from that division.

 

[OrangeAndBlackMetal]

Pens
Rags
Bruins

Have to make the playoffs first though.

 

[Hardnell]

could be worse

 

[flyersfan187]

I don't understand how some fans think the Flyers cannot win it all. They have a solid team that will be very hard for any team to beat in a seven game series.

 

[AaronTrieu]

There is no easy team in the playoffs. Look at the standings and what it takes to get into the top eight of the east. All 8 teams deserve to be there and every team will be a great challenge. I'm looking forward to a competitive series.

 

[BernieParent]

I don't understand how some fans think the Flyers cannot win it all. They have a solid team that will be very hard for any team to beat in a seven game series.

The Flyers are wildly inconsistent with no depth to speak of and a mediocre defense.

 

[FlyersFanz]

I'd rather see this team face the Pens

I'm with you...Flyers have owned the Pens this season and the Flyers are terrible at MSG. Bruins would be interesting, still remember beating them after they had a 3-0 lead on the Flyers...that was awesome but I think the Bruins are a tough team defensively and Rask is solid this year, let them get worn out by Detroit.

 

[BleedOrange]

Doesnt matter to me who we meet in the first round once the playoffs start its a new season anything can happen in the playoffs.If we play 60 mins we can beat anybody.